Ark: Command

You wake up in the cold transport pod, the smell of metal still lingering. The elevator climbs upward, the change in atmospheric pressure swelling in your eardrums. The moment the doors open, a gray light floods in—the surface.

You step onto the cracked concrete ground. Nanodust floats in the air like the lingering aftermath of an endless storm. In the distance, a massive ship-like structure reveals its rusted silhouette in the thin light—that is your future command ship, the Pioneer-class landship, the "Morning Star". Your helmet communicator crackles with static as the operator's voice is distorted by electromagnetic interference, followed by a cold male voice patching in:

"Commander C-07, welcome back to the surface. I am the SRB Evaluator, codenamed 'Gray'. Your initial performance cycle begins timing from this moment."

Before you can respond, the connection is cut. Standing in place, you feel the coarse friction beneath the soles of your boots. The world beneath your feet is silent and vast, and this is only the beginning.

You pass through the leaking airlock and enter the interior of the Morning Star. The bridge is narrower than expected, with a hissing sound coming from the ventilation ducts. The command chair has not yet been adjusted to your preferred angle, but the screens are already lit, displaying the facility levels—all values are in a dimmed, initial state.

The main screen suddenly flickers, and a dark blue communication icon lights up. You press the answer button, and a solemn male face appears in the center of the screen, set against a background of pristine white walls and flowing data patterns.

"Commander C-07, I am the administrator of the Cradle Academy. You may call me 'Mentor'. The current batch of Ark candidates you are to take over is still in the final debugging phase. The official handover will take place in 48 hours."

He pauses for a moment, his gaze seeming to search for something on your face.

"Before then, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the vehicle's basic operation modules and combat protocols. The first batch of mission data has been dispatched. If you encounter any anomalies, report them with priority via Deep-Link communication."

The communication interface vanishes, and the screen reverts to a static information window. You notice the countdown in the corner—48:00:00.

Following the Mentor's guidance, you pull up the prototype data from the maintenance room. The 3D model on the screen rotates, revealing the silhouette of the frame that is about to become your first subordinate. The annotations are brief, only mentioning the grade and basic armament configuration—C-Grade Standard Type, General Tactical Module.

You put down the folder and stand up to walk toward the bridge exit. The lights on both sides of the corridor flicker, and the cables at your feet resemble coiled dark serpents. As you pass a heavy bulkhead door, you hear a faint electrical pulse from within—it is her, still asleep. Before you formally issue the startup command, everything remains in the silence of standby mode.

You stand before the closed door, gently placing your finger near the scanner panel on the side. An amber light sweeps across your fingerprint, and a line of text appears on the screen:

"Identity confirmed, Commander C-07. Ark Unit '??? ??' awaiting activation. Execute awakening protocol?"

Your breath catches for a second inside your visor. This is no simple choice—every command will trigger countless consequences. Outside is a world of ash, inside is a sleeping warrior, and you are the node connecting them all.

In the end, you do not press confirm. The countdown continues; you still have time to prepare.